Smile and Fake It
by greengirl16
Summary: ‘Smile and fake it’ she told herself repeatedly. She walked down the halls and heard the snickers of the other students, but ignored it and kept walking to her locker.


**This story is dedicated to Allisonosity for providing me with this fantabulous idea! xD **

**-stands on rooftop and screams- I own Next to Normal! -Gabe appears and pushed me off the roof- -lays on ground with broken bones- or not o_O**

The car ride was silent. No one said a word. The only sounds were her mother picking at her nails in the passenger seat and the traffic passing by. Natalie had her head resting on the seat and her eyes closed. She sat in the back seat, clutching her blue backpack on her lap. She couldn't do this…Why did everything so fucked up happen to her? It wasn't fair. They pulled into the parking lot. Natalie's heart started to pound in her chest, her palms were sweaty, and she shifted her weight uncomfortably in her seat. Her father pulled up next to the school and put the car in park. They all sat there staring at the brick building looming a few yards away. Natalie didn't move or get out of the car.

"Nat, you have to go to school."

Natalie closed her eyes tighter, trying to pretend this wasn't happening.

"Natalie." Her father's voice said sternly, but then he changed tones and tried a new approach. "It's not going to be that bad."

She rolled her eyes, "That's bull shit." She opened the car door, no longer wanting to deal with her father's cheery, optimistic attitude and slammed it upon getting out.

The window rolled down and her father's voice called after her. "Have a good day."

She kept walking towards the building, but called back, "Like hell."

She walked, trying to make herself look sure of herself. 'Smile and fake it' she told herself repeatedly. She walked down the halls and heard the snickers of the other students, but ignored it and kept walking to her locker.

_The crowd in the stands cheered the swim team on. The air smelled of chlorine and it was a warm humid environment. It was the last home meet and the crowd was larger than normal. Natalie had her bathing suit on and was tying her hair up in a bun and put the swim cap over it. She found her goggles and started to stretch. _

_Her event was called over the megaphone and she hurried to her lane. She dove into the pool and swam her fastest time of the season. She hopped out of the pool, feeling great about herself and was waiting for her coaches and team to congratulate her. Her team was silent and starring right through her. She realized how quiet it had gotten and turned around. At the other end of the pool, her mother stood at the end of the highest diving board. Her mouth dropped. She could see her father on the ladder trying to coax her back to him. This wasn't happening. Her mother started bouncing up and down on the board and then jumped into the pool. The entire crowd burst out in laughter. Tears sprang in Natalie's eyes._

_A team mate approached her, "Hey, isn't that your mother?"_

_Natalie didn't respond, but just stared at her father pulling her mother out of the water along with the lifeguards. Her dad was going through her purse trying to find one of her bottles of medication._

"_Wow, she's crazy." The teammate commented dryly._

_Tears rolled down Natalie's face. She was mortified and she ran out, the doors shutting behind her, muting the laughter of the crowd._

_She ran into the bathroom and vomited. Her life was so fucked up. Her mother ruined everything. She had set their house on fire, burning it to the ground and then there was the Costco incident. The list was endless. She hated she was related to her mother. She'd run away, but she had no where to go. She didn't have friends because her mother scared them off. The parents of her classmates wouldn't allow their children into her house because they felt her mother was dangerous. She turned on the sink and splashed cold water on her face. She looked in the mirror and hated what she saw. She turned away._

_There was a knock on the bathroom door. "Natalie? Are you in there?" Her dad's voice called._

"_Leave me the hell alone."_

"_I'm sorry Natalie. Your mother is ill, but we are working on it."_

"_Dad, we've been working on it for fourteen years. She's not getting better."_

_There was silence. "You mother's doctor arrived and just took her to the hospital."_

"_Are you fucking kidding me? The entire student population just saw mom's doctor just stroll in and take her away? Is that supposed to be comforting?"_

"_Yes, it was supposed to be… We have to go meet her at the hospital."_

"_No, I am not going to visit her, not after that. She jumped off the fucking high board, dad. That's, well, that's fucked."_

"_Natalie, some things cannot be helped. Just come and visit her, she's your mother."_

"_Don't try and guilt me, I am not going to visit her."_

"_Well at least let me drive you home."_

_Natalie complied and exited the bathroom pushing past her father and stormed out of the school._

The laughter rang in her ears; she clutched her backpack closer to her and hurried to her first class. It was going to be a long day. Her classmates filed in at the first bell and class began. Mr. Morrison started talking about psychology and the results acute stress reaction had on a person when the phone rang. He went to answer it, giving the class more time to talk about the event in the pool that weekend.

"Oh you should have seen it!" A girl squealed. "The lady just jumped off the high board at the swim meet. I heard she's crazy. Then her psychologist or whatever came and got her and took her away. I got pictures!"

Natalie put her head on her desk, as if things couldn't get worse…

"Natalie Goodman?" Mr. Morrison's voice asked.

"Here." She replied deadpan.

"The guidance counselor would like to see you."

The class erupted in snickers and she held her head high and walked out of the classroom towards the guidance office.

She was taken into a back office immediately and sat in a large, black leather chair.

The guidance counselor entered behind her and shut the door. He was a young man and had dark hair, and was definitely not the school guidance counselor.

He seemed to notice her confusion. "I am filling in for today. Your guidance counselor is sick. I am new in the profession."

Great, she got the 'new guy'. Natalie nodded.

He looked at a file, "Goodman, Natalie… Oh by the way I am Mr. Madden." He read her files thoroughly for a few minutes and then sat down.

"How was your weekend, Natalie?"

She glared at him.

"Care to tell me about it?"

"I'd rather not."

"Why is that?"

"My weekend was just short of an apocalypse."

"Would you explain?"

Natalie reluctantly filled him in on the details of the swim meet.

He nodded when she was finished and wrote something down. He acted more like a doctor than a school guidance counselor.

"Are you okay?"

Natalie smiled, "I am perfectly fine."

He analyzed her facial expressions as if he was deciding whether to buy that statement or not. "Alright…" He finally said, not completely convinced.

Natalie stood up and left the office.


End file.
